Forever 21 is a popular clothing story that has done very well financial in the past decade. There is a great focus of this clothing story on younger generations, providing many youthful, stylish clothing options. Even the name “Forever 21” implies the value of or push towards youth and feeling young and full of life. Because of its modern and “hip” nature, no one would every suspect that this company is actually religiously affiliated.
Founder of Forever 21, Do Won Chang is a devout Christian who constantly seeks to spread the love of Jesus to those in the world without it. Every bag sold by his company has the words John 3:16 imprinted on the bottom. This verse reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This company is a great example of how Christians can not only use business to reach untouched groups of people around the world, but that Christian business can also be modern, fun, and attractive to younger generations.
The question now is how can companies like this do more to spread the word of Jesus. Many different companies put Bible verses on their products or around their farcicalities, but how useful is this really in spreading the word to customers. How can we more affectively use business to spread Christianity without forcing our beliefs down the throats of our customers, deterring them from faith and our business in the process?
Great post! I am always surprised by Forever 21 being a Christian company. It’s a great thing that they include verses in their packaging, but as someone in the target market, I would not have guessed that they are Christian or that they have a redemptive mission. Perhaps there are more ways for Forever 21 to make this slightly clearer. They have a great mission, but it isn’t very clear unless you specifically look for it.
Placing Bible verses on products and bags is a very common occurrence but something that should not be overlooked. It is still a great opportunity to share the gospel. I do like a lot that they maintain a modern feel that is popular among the younger generations. This allows for them to reach more people that may not know Christ. I have never been to one but to answer the last question, I think the actions reflected by the employees is a huge way to show the love of Christ. We can see this at Chic-fil-a by employees actions and words.